A Greater Manchester animal rescue charity has described an ‘appalling’ act of cruelty in which a washing basket full of kittens and cats was dumped, leaving them for dead.
Disturbingly, the adorable animals were cable-tied in to the laundry basket in the pouring rain.
They had no way to escape and would have starved to death were it not for some kind-hearted passers-by who spotted them.
In total, there were three adult cats and six tiny kittens crammed into the basket, ditched in the Greenbank Park area in Levenshulme.
Although initially it was feared that one of the kittens had been crushed to death, they are now all expected to make a full recovery.
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But Kitty Rescue Bury has slammed the act of cruelty, saying it’s left the cats ‘traumatised and so scared’.
The basket of kittens was found in the bushes by workers at Coreline Fibre, who took them back to their workplace and called for help.
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Kitty Rescue Bury said: “We are saddened and deeply disturbed by a recent incident. We were made aware yesterday that nine innocent cats were dumped in a washing basket.
“This act of cruelty is not only appalling but also unacceptable, and we urge people to reach out for help rather than resort to such inhumane actions.
A washing basket full of kittens has been found in Greater Manchester. Credit: Kitty Rescue BuryA washing basket full of kittens has been found in Greater Manchester. Credit: Kitty Rescue BuryA washing basket full of kittens has been found in Greater Manchester. Credit: Kitty Rescue Bury
“These poor cats were hidden away, abandoned and left for dead basically, in a terrifying situation.
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“They were tucked away hidden in the bushes in the awful rain with no way to survive as they were cable tied in. If they were not found the consequences would have been dire they would have suffered and starved to death.
“They were fortunate that someone so went into the bushes and spotted them. Thankfully they were kind caring people so took the cats in the basket back to work with them an reached out for help.”
The Radcliffe-based charity added: “At Kitty Rescue Bury, we believe that every life matters. We are committed to providing a safe haven for cats in need and finding them loving forever homes.
“However, incidents like this highlight the desperate need for increased awareness and education about responsible pet ownership. It is vital for individuals to understand that there are alternative options available rather than abandoning defenceless animals.”
The kittens and cats after being rescued. Credit: Kitty Rescue Bury
The charity is urging people who are struggling to care for their pets to reach out to appropriate organisations for help, rather than taking such drastic measures as dumping the animals.
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These include local rescue groups, vets, and similar organisations.
Kitty Rescue Bury has also appealed for donations to allow them to continue their work and to pay for the care of the abandoned cats.
You can donate through GoFundMe or via bank transfer (Kitty Rescue Bury, HSBC, 40-15-21, 91680579).
Anyone with dashcam or doorbell footage from the Mount Road/Greenbank Park area should get in touch with Kitty Rescue Bury.
Featured image: Kitty Rescue Bury
News
Salford Red Devils granted another adjournment over unpaid debts
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils have been given one more adjournment and yet another stay of execution, being given another two weeks to find the money to cover their unpaid debts.
The local rugby league side, which has been wrapped in all manner of struggles both on and off-pitch over the past year or so, reportedly needs to pay around £700,000 to HMRC alone and still owes roughly £5 million in total to various creditors.
To no surprise, regular matchgoers, neutrals and even rivals alike have expressed their continued disappointment with the club, mainly at the lack of transparency and clarity from the organisation throughout this long, drawn-out process.
This is coming from a wire fan but no club deserves to be left in the dark even longer than they already have done it’s nothing but a disgrace to the sport of rugby those owners and the court should be ashamed of themselves.
Updating fans on social media, this is all the information they have communicated at this time: “Salford Red Devils can confirm that HMRC have granted the club a two-week adjournment, providing additional time in which to secure the necessary funds.
“We would like to reassure supporters that we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a positive resolution. Further updates will be shared as soon as possible.”
It’s worth noting that the current owners have reiterated that they inheited around £3m in existing debt before they took over the club, but assurances over their own investments have still come to nothing; meanwhile, with many still waiting on wages, players and staff alike have now left.
Having been propped up by loan players and emergency loans, the team is now closer to a skeleton crew than it is an outfit capable of competing in the premier division.
Either way, the outrage remains and is only growing stronger. One user wrote on X: “A good approach by them if they was legit would be to engage and bring in The 1873 to bridge the communication black hole (they created).
“The problem with that is if they did it would expose them for what they are… Extortionists using the club as a vehicle.”
More alarm bells were raised recently when assistant coach and Krisnan Inu – who was also director of the company set up to take over the business – withdrew himself from a key position behind the scenes.
Speaking of The 1873, the outspoken supporters trust took no time at all in issuing a response of their own, adding: “The judge presiding over today’s case has adjourned by 14 days. This adjournment has dragged the uncertainty on even longer.
“Every delay makes planning for 2026 harder and keeps the club stuck in limbo when it desperately needs clarity and direction.
“The fans, the players and the future all deserve better — The 1873.”
You can see the rest of their statement in full down below, but for now, what do you make of this seemingly neverending saga, Salfordians?
‘Christmas chaos’ on the cards as Manchester tram drivers vote on staging strike action next month
Emily Sergeant
There could be major disruption to festive travel in Greater Manchester next month, as hundreds of tram drivers are currently voting on whether to strike.
Almost 320 tram drivers are being balloted over working conditions and fears around fatigue.
The drivers – who are members of the union, Unite – all work for KeolisAmey Metrolink Limited at the Warwick Road South and Queens Road depots in Manchester – and they operate trams on all routes in Greater Manchester.
As it stands, the drivers’ shift patterns currently mean they have to work 450 hours over a 12-week period, which results in some having to work 50 hours on, followed by just two days off, then back into another 50-hour work pattern.
Drivers also have fewer rest days compared to all other operational departments, and this is said to be causing safety concerns around fatigue.
‘Christmas chaos’ is on the cards as Manchester tram drivers are currently voting on staging strike action next month / Credit: TfGM
Drivers say they concerned about operating heavy vehicles while exhausted and unable to have proper breaks, but after raising the issue with management, Unite has been told there is ‘no funding available’ to support any ‘meaningful’ improvements to working patterns.
Instead, management has asked drivers to start work earlier – which Unite says is only ‘adding insult to injury’.
The ballot is set to close on 11 November, and if drivers vote in favour of industrial action, strikes could then begin in late November, causing widespread cancellations and delays throughout the region during the busy festive shopping period – particularly coinciding with Manchester’s world-famous Christmas Markets, known for attracting millions of visitors to the city each year.
“Any strike action will cause a great deal of disruption but it is entirely the fault of Metrolink, which is not taking the issue of driver fatigue seriously,” commented Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden.
Daisy Jackson -
17th July 2023 
